Remnants of a Forgotten War
by ImperialWolves12
Summary: Jack Murphy recalls his story of what he got himself into during the Great War. One day he eventually ended up on Remnant, and now shares his story with his daughters. From his arrival. To Summer's End...
1. Prologue

"It was Hell on Earth... The year was 1915, and we were in the trenches on the Western front in France. I was an American volunteer, and we, as in one of the many armies of the Entente, were getting ready for what seemed like the end of an offensive. The Somme. One of the bloodiest battles of the entire war as far as I know. Hell, I don't even know if the war is still being fought. I've been gone for so long. But anyways, where was I?", the man said, trying to recollect his memory.

"You were talking about your involvement in the battle of the Somme.", said a voice. The voice sounded young, high pitched. Curious. Even afraid. The voice of a teenager. A father telling his story to their child.

"Ah, yes, now I remember. The whistles blew, and the first battalion charged. Then the second. Then the third. And then it was my turn. My turn to either get captured, or get mowed down into mush and left to rot in the mud..." The man's thoughts focused on what had happened when he got out of the trench. He was charging with his fellow soldiers. His rifle in hand. Ready to die and be released from this Hell that he was trapped in. The peace he wanted desperately was so close... But it never came. The enemy soldiers, the Germans. Or Jerries, as the Brits called them, rushed towards the man and his fellow battalion and attacked. Bayonets clashed, stabbed, sliced through flesh and bone. Bullets zipped by and hit some anywhere and everywhere. The head, straight through the skull, brains blown out. The chest, resulting in a collapsed lung or two. Maybe even hit the heart. The arm, or the leg, you get the picture. Nothing would kill him, or maim him. "My gun jammed. So I tried using my bayonet. Took out a few Krauts. Maybe two or three. In the chaos around me, I threw it away, pulled out my sidearm. An M1911. Used up my ammo on at most five or six. Then in the rage I felt when I noticed most of my comrades around me were dead or dying, I tackled one and began beating him mercillesly. I-I think I remember bashing his skull in with a club, hard enough the damn thing broke in my hand. Stabbed the poor bastard in the heart... Come to think of it... That was one of the things I regret most in my life..." He looked at his hands. They were shaking.

"Then what happened, Dad?" asked the girl.

"Then the sound of whistling came... Both sides were firing an artillery barrage... You'd have to hope to God you got lucky and didn't have a scratch on you... Which thankfully I didn't. I even saved someone else from that. When the smoke cleared, I noticed that it wasn't a friendly that I saved. It was the enemy. The enemy I swore to kill with every chance I get. I think he had the same shocked expression as me. Until he friends got both of us. I surrendered. Had to, unless I wanted to die. In truth, I did... Still do. But the part of me that doesn't, makes me wanna stick around and see what happens next. They took me to their side. The guy I saved thanked me and tried to get his Commander to bring me back to my side of No Man's Land. But it was too risky. And do you really think they would care about one little soldier? Fuck no. So they interrogated me a little, until they realized I didn't know a damn thing." The events flashed right before his eyes. Just like one of those films back home.

"Where the fuck are you taking me? Damn you Krauts! Do your worst!"

"Verschlossen Amerikaner. Wir haben einen Nutzen für Sie schließlich. Sie werden nicht in den Gefängnislagern, oh nein sein. Statt dessen werden Sie um uns kämpfen." (Shut up, American. We have a use for you after all. You won't be in a prison camp, oh no. Instead, you will be fighting for us.) The Kommadant told the other two soldiers to put on a uniform for one of the Stormtroopers. An elite infantry unit meant to hit enemy trenches in surprise attacks. He was brought to the front of the line with a few other soldiers who were captured. He looked at one soldier.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asked to the soldier.

"Waller. Private Edward Waller. What's yours?", asked the soldier in a British accent.

"Jack. Jack Murphy... Hey you got any kids? A family?"

"No why? Do you?"

"Yeah, I have a kid, but he's with his uncle for the meantime. But good for you, cause if you make it out of this, then no worries for you."

Gas masks were put over their faces so up close, if they got that far, couldn't be seen by friendlies. Additionally, their hands were tied so they couldn't surrender. The whistle was blown, but only the captured pows charged. The friendly battalion, thinking they were the enemy, started shooting, and one by one, fell into the mud. One of which was Edward Waller, whose knife fell out of the uniform. Jack grabbed it from behind his back and started to cut the rope binding his hands together. When he got them free, a friendly soldier charged at him with a bayonet attached to his rifle. Pinning him down, Jack tried to get him to stop, but the soldier was having none of it. Flipping him over so Jack was on the ground, the soldier grabbed the knife he was carrying and tried to plunge it into Jack's neck. Jack was pushing back with all his strength, and suddenly, the air turned yellow... Mustard gas. The soldier above him tried to quickly kill Jack, but Jack pulled the gas mask off of the soldier's face revealing a young boy. Maybe only fifteen or sixteen years of age. The kid stood up, dropping the knife, he scratched at his face. He screamed in agonizing horror. Focusing on trying to stay alive, the boy tried to reach for Jack's gas mask. But Jack stopped his hands, struggling to get the pain to subside, Jack pulled out the pistol from the boy's holdster, and shot him in the head. The gas cleared, and it began to rain. Jack took off the mask and screamed out into the heavens. Tired, he fell back onto the mud. There was whistling, which got louder by the second, but Jack was too tired to move. He had accepted it. His peace would finally arrive, and all it would take was a few short seconds.


	2. Awakening

"What happened after the barrage?" Jack's daughter was intrigued but asked carefully. She didn't want to upset him.

"I awoke in a circle of mud. Charred trees that were fallen over lining it. Dead bodies everywhere. Craters in some places. The gas had went away."

Jack woke up in the mud, the sky above was cloudy, but no green or yellow. Tearing off the gas mask, Jack gasped for much needed air. When he got up, he noticed the environment had changed. Craters were are deep in the muddied ground. Bodies of fellow comrades and the other POW's were lying on the mud, some being swallowed by it, never to be seen again. Those were normal for the battlefields of Europe, but there were... Trees with their leaves, and the grass was green. Jack thought he was dead at first, but switched his focus to the sound of a rifle being readied behind him. Turning around, there was a British soldier standing with his gun pointed at Jack. Jack stepped forward slowly and put his hand up a little. The soldier asserted himself.

"Don't move another bloody inch!" Jack still moved.

"It's alright, I'm not a Kraut. T-they just captured us and-"

"Yeah right. Next thing you'll do is shoot me when I'm not looking. Throw your sidearm here now." Jack obliged. "Now I'm going to bring you with me and find the nearest prison camp so we can keep you there." Jack again tried to explain and step a little closer, but the soldier fired a warning shot near his feet. "I said don't come any close-" the soldier was cut off, as both men heard a shot whiz by them. The British soldier was distracted and returned fire in the direction of the shooter. Jack tackled him, and both wrestled for the rifle. Both tried to get the upper hand, when the British soldier head-butted Jack on the ground, and was about to stab him with the bayonet at the end of the barrel. A shot rang out and hit the soldier in the leg, making him fall in the mud. He tried getting up, to kill Jack before he died, nearly did too. He pulled out his knife and lunged at Jack, who immediately found the revolver he threw, and shot the soldier in the head. His body fell on top of Jack, but he just pushed him off into a crater. Jack was catching his breath when he heard a nearby rustling in the trees around him. Deep, horrid red eyes peered at him from all angles. Emerging from the forest, were big black and white beasts with gaping maws a thirst for blood. Too tired to do anything, Jack just lied there. Again, accepting his fate. Besides, he wasn't in Hell anymore. And he was sure he isn't in Heaven. He just closed his eyes and waited for the end. He heard booms, and loud howls, grunts, and screams. The sounds of weapons. The clanging of swords, the booming of guns. The sounds of War. Then they stopped, almost in an instant. Then he felt a hand on his neck. His pulse was rapid. The hand moved to his forehead. Hot. Very much so. He remembered being carried. The sounds of something roaring outside whatever he was in. A giant metal box in the air. In his mind, the cold feeling of Death's embrace covered him like a blanket. He was being taken to his final resting place. Away from the Hell he was in. In his mind, Jack was being taken to Heaven...

"What do you remember after you blacked out?", asked his daughter.

"I woke up in a bed. It was like it was all a dream. Like I had never went there. I got out of the bed, and looked at my clothes. Still I found myself in this uniform." Jack gestured to the same old German uniform he wears today. It had seen a lot since he first arrived on Remnant. Some tears from shrapnel, a couple of bullet holes. The gas mask next to him had one of it's lenses cracked. "I was looking in a mirror. And I wasn't the cleanest at that time. Blood, some sut, mud and dirt covered me. Then a woman in a white cloak walked in the room."

Jack looked into the mirror. His hair was a mess, all over the place. His facial hair was in the same situation. He looked into his eyes. His soft, brown eyes. They were glassy. The eyes of a dead man. He heard a knocking on the door, but he didn't move. Nor did he look away. Through the mirror, he saw a woman with black hair and her bangs were tipped with red. She had pale skin, wearing a white cloak walk in. She was carrying a tray of food with her. But the strangest thing about her, was that she had silver eyes.

"Sorry for barging in. I brought you breakfast... So I guess I'll leave you to it." She began to leave until Jack spoke.

"How long was I out?"

"About a week. You look like you went through Hell and back.. especially with that location in the Emerald Forest we found you in. Where are you from anyways?"

"You could say that... And all I know is that I'm not from here... Wherever here is."

"This is Beacon Academy. You know? The city of Vale is that way? Have you ever seen this kingdom?!"

"Look lady, the only kingdom I've ever seen is the United Kingdom. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to the Hell I just went through."

"Rude! First of all, it's Summer. And also, what are you talking about? What in Oum's name is the United Kingdom? And why were all those bodies and the messed up part of the forest there? Who are you?!"

"Jack. My name is Jack Murphy. From what I understand either you are crazy, or I'm just going mad from Shellshock. And to answer your other question, I have no clue whatsofuckingever! I have no clue why the hell or how the hell I am here! And if you think that I'm just gonna stand here all day, answering someone's questions all day, you're sorely mistaken!" Summer reeled back in shock and speechlessness. She stormed out of the room, saying that Jack should at least be thankful for the food. As she slammed the door, a man with silver hair wearing a black and green outfit was walking up to her.

"I heard the ruckus thanks to Glynda." He gestured to a blonde girl with green eyes. She was wearing a white blouse with a black skirt and leggings. On her head was a pair of glasses, and in her hand, was a wand. Her name was Glynda Goodwitch, and she was a student at Beacon currently. "You may go now, Glynda. I'm going to talk with Summer to see how our guest is doing."

"Yes, Professor Ozpin." Glynda left for her studies, and Ozpin was the first to speak.

"I'm assuming he just woke up, and is now most likely eating, am I correct?"

"Pretty much. I asked him a few things, and he just screamed at me. I'm guessing you saw everything in the Emerald Forest?" Summer responded.

"Indeed. I did." Ozpin pulled out his scroll and pulled up some footage from a couple of cameras on the trees surrounding the small battlefield that appeared out of nowhere. "It seems like wherever he came from isn't anywhere on Remnant."

"That's what I asked him. But it didn't really help much."

"Alright, well, I'll talk to him later on. Why don't you get back with your team?"

"Ok. I wanna talk with him some more though. He seems like a really interesting guy." Summer bolted down the halls, running off to find her team. Ozpin laughed a little, and walked back to his office.

"That was the day I met your mother. She was beautiful. Hell, now that I think of it, you look just like her. You even have er eyes." Jack said, pointing to his own eyes when talking to him daughter.

"My mother... Is she...?" She looked at him with pleading eyes. She knew Summer was dead. She just didn't want to admit it.

"Yes." Jack said. "And I miss her so much."

"How did she die?"

"That will be for another time. But for now, let's get back to the house. Don't want any Grimm catching us." Both got up and Jack put out the fire. Both grabbed their things, and walked towards their house.

"Hey, Dad?", asked the daughter.

"Yeah?", responded Jack.

"Where were you all those years? Why were you never there for me, when Uncle Qrow was?" Jack sighed.

"There were some... Personal issues going on. I wanted to make sure you were safe, so I brought you to Taiyang. I just didn't think it would be years until I would see you again."

"But why now? Why do I just meet you, an old man living in solitude, out in the middle of the... Forest." She paused, and looked out into the clearing. A number of graves were there. Flowers had grown, and grass had covered the landscape. Pits had been filled in.

"One, I guess it was time. Two, because you were destined to find me. Just like your Sister.. Yang, was it? You were trying to find that missing person. Trying to fill the gap. You found me. And now you're finding out on what I did. I woke up in this clearing twenty five years ago, Ruby. For ten years, I've been settling down. With your mother. Trying to forget this. But it just keeps coming back worse and worse each time. When you were two years old, those personal issues that came up... If you want to know, then you'll have to stick around. Because my story hasn't ended just yet."


	3. Questions, Answers, and Villages

"Escorted by armed Huntsman and Huntresses. They had me in cuffs. My weapons were taken away. I don't know why... They just probably thought I was dangerous. Hah! Some welcome party. I was going to meet the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Ozpin. He said he didn't want me in cuffs or shackles or anything. He wanted me to keep my weapons, but some of the older warriors there insisted on the former... They fought valiantly in battle... With a sense of honor. Something that I haven't seen in a long time... But could you believe it? The single most important man in the entire school wanting someone who just appears out of thin air to waltz right on in with weapons unescorted to just ask them a few questions?"

"Well yeah. From the way you put it. He seemed like he'd do that for anybody really." Jack chuckled at his daughter's response.

"Indeed he did. But back to the story..."

When Jack was pushed into the elevator, one of the Huntsman inserted a key into the handcuffs, and they fell off of Jack's wrists. They told him that Professor Ozpin was waiting upstairs for him. He pressed the only button that was on the panel other than the one that was for the floor he was already on, and the elevator went up. When the doors finally opened, Jack stepped into a circular room. The ceiling held giant gears above glass. Most likely for a clock in the tower. Looking around, he noticed windows all around, giving a perfect 360° view of the school and its surroundings. The courtyard on the cliff below was a very good view. The water beyond the cliff looked so calm. So very calm. The sun was also setting. Somebody should paint this scene. Behind him, a chair turned around revealing a man clad in gray (grey? What's the American version?) and green with platinum blonde hair casually sipping his coffee as if this was just normal all the time.

"Somebody should paint that scene. Very relaxing. Don't you agree," he asked.

"Yes... Yes it is. But I have a feeling that's not why I'm here. Tell me, what is it that you want," Jack responded, turning around to be face to face with "The Great and Powerful" Ozpin.

"Answers. Now, before we say anything else, a student of mine came here earlier telling me a little bit about you. Now, Mr. Murphy, do you know where you are?"

"Well I'm obviously not in Europe... Am I in... Canada," asked Jack.

"I-I'm sorry... Where?" Ozpin was dumbfounded.

"You know? Canada? Snow. Cold. Forests... They speak French in some places... No?"

"No... Jack... This isn't 'Canada' and this isn't wherever you're from. Now please just answer the ques-"

"So... If I'm not in Canada... And I'm not on Earth... Am I dead?!"

"Well... I mean from the way you look... Ehhhhh... No you're not de-"

"Oh God I'm dead! I'm dead! I died! Wait... Am I in Heaven then? Please let me be there!"

"H-Heaven? No.. ugh... Oum's sakes, Jack. You aren't dead. You aren't in Heaven. You are in Beacon Academy! In Vale! On Remnant! Now please get a hold of yourself and sit down!"

"Right... Sorry... It's just.. I-I've been through Hell. The stuff I've seen... It isn't for everyone. Ask away." Both men sat down, and Ozpin began again.

"Do you know how you got here?"

"What? Here here? Or here on this world?"

"A bit of both really."

"I don't know how I ended up on this world... Remnant is it? Last thing I can remember before I woke up in that pit was an artillery barrage raining down on me. When I woke up, another soldier tried to kill me, and a sniper shot him in the leg. He returned fire, and I killed him. Then a bunch of black and white monsters with dull red eyes emerged from... From everywhere. I closed my eyes and accepted my fate hearing gunshots and cries of pain. Then something roaring... Then I awoke and this woman in a white cloak walked in and asked me some similar questions."

"Ahh yes. That would be Summer Rose. Her unique combat skills but mostly her compassion for her team and leading abilities is why I chose her as leader of team STRQ... Among other things of course."

"And that being?"

"We'll get to that later. I'm curious... Does your world, Earth, does anyone use Magic, or Dust? Do they have an Aura? Maybe a Semblance?" Jack chuckled at Ozpin's questions.

"Hah! Fuck no. Magic is just a load of shit! Dust? Well unless someone hasn't cleaned the surface of their table in a year or two, then you already have an answer. Also what in the hell is a Semblance?"

"Hmm... Interesting. Magic is quite real here. Dust is more of a naturally occurring crystallized energy propellant than the dust you find in a dirty home. Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. It's also required to trigger Dust. Semblance is a more tangible projection of one's Aura. Additionally in a way, Semblance is fueled by Aura."

"... Right, so I'm just gonna ask this one question... Who uses magic here? I haven't seen a single wizard yet.. unless you're secretly a wizard."

"Well, magic can be used but only with the assistance of Dust. I'll make sure to tell you about it later. In the meantime, it seems like I am getting a call." Ozpin took out his scroll and answered. "Yes... Ah well he's going o need those back, Peter... Yes I know that but... Wait, you haven't been lying to your students with tales of how you used those right?... No, he's right here, and I'm sending him down right now so please apologize to your students, Peter... Right, well just don't pull the pin or do anything stupid... Goodbye."

"The fuck was that? Some futuristic telephone?"

"Hmm? Oh you mean my Scroll. Yes, it is a phone. I'm guessing Earth isn't as technologically advanced?"

"No, but we seem to be getting there. Who was that on the other end?"

"Professor Port. He seems to have been lying to his students by using your weapons. He is in classroom A113. Oh and do hurry, we seem to have more guests. There's a bullhead waiting outside on the courtyard. Team STRQ is headed there now." Jack left for the elevator, and went to retrieve his weapons from this Professor Port.

When Jack got to classroom A113, he saw a small, pudgy man with brown hair that was currently graying (greying? Why TF are there two different ways to spell it?!). He was teaching what appeared to be a college course about killing those monsters. Jack stood there in the doorway, listening. Port was fiddling with Jack's weaponry, telling his students "stories" of how he used these to kill legendary beasts of Grimm. He proceeded to pick up a stick grenade from the table.

"Now, children, as you can see, this device is something of an odd one. I created it myself. This may look like a stamper, but this little cord, if pulled, will actually release a little explosion. If I recall correctly, then this will be like a small firecracker. Watch and learn." Port pulled the cord, and about three seconds later, a loud banging could be heard probably three to four classrooms away not counting the dorms. Many students and a few staff arrived to see what the all the commotion was, while Jack just simply walked up to Professor Port, handed him a hankerchief, and took his weapons back.

"Next time, don't mess with my stuff. That Potato Masher could've killed you. Oh and your boss says to stop lying to your students." Jack walked off, leaving a few students laughing and an embarrassed and confused Professor Port.

Walking to what Jack assumed was the bullhead, he heard that roaring sound again. That must've been what was keeping the thing up in the air... Whatever it is people use on Remnant. On Earth, they didn't have this kind of tech. All Jack knows in aviation is propellers. But he does like flying. He was going to volunteer in the Air Force, and he got the training but he was put in the Army instead. Maybe he could ask Ozpin or someone if he could borrow a bullhead or something. Stepping inside, was Summer and her team. They introduced themselves to Jack, and he to them. The guy in the white shirt, black pants, red eyes, black hair and a little bit of a beard, was Qrow Branwen. He asked Jack if he had any alcohol on him at the moment, but alas, Jack had none. Qrow's female counterpart more or less, was none other than Raven Branwen, his sister. She didn't say much other than when she introduced herself. Then we have the blond man. Taiyang Xiao Long. To be honest, he looked a little bit like a cowboy. More specifically an outlaw. It was funny in a way, but he obviously didn't rob trains.

The bullhead flew off towards the Emerald Forest. Apparently there were more people like Jack. They appeared out of thin air, and apparently raided a village. If he could, Jack wouldn't kill anyone. Unless he had to, which he will in an instant. Back on Earth, he didn't like killing. He still doesn't, but after a while, he just got used to it. Shooting someone wasn't a bother. It was just like a camera. Point and shoot. Thankfully the only person he killed so far on Remnant was the one who tried to kill him... He wondered if someone was counting... Of course somebody would, he was a soldier with a kill count. Most if not all soldiers have at least one right? Still, a part of him would want to stop, and just put the gun down. But it wasn't the time. Not yet. He could feel it. With God as his witness, Jack would try to be peaceful, but if he can't, he can't. A lot of blood is on his hands, and yet his hasn't been spilled like the countless bodies in the mud. Not yet at least.

The bullhead touched down, and everyone jumped out. They landed a mile away from the village. Nobody knew who was really there, or what was really going on, but they would find out soon enough. After about half an hour of walking, they reached the village. All was quiet, no civilians, no soldiers, gunshots, screams etc. Moving into one of the houses, they heard something upstairs. Jack took point, continuing upwards while team STRQ checked two other homes nearby. Aiming his rifle down in front, Jack stayed calm, readied for the worst. He checked the rooms down the hall. One was a master bedroom with a king sized bed in the middle against the wall, and a couple of bureaus next to it. Nothing was under the bed. Turning around and looking to his right, Jack found a bathroom. It was small, but had enough room for a shower, toilet, and sink. No noise was heard in this room. Walking out, straight in front of him was the final door. Opening it, revealed a child's bedroom. A small bed in the corner, with drawings all over the walls. Jack was on his way out, when he heard something in the closet across from the bed. Readying his rifle, with one hand, he slowly opened the door, careful to not alert anyone else if they were even around. When he looked inside, there was a child there. A girl, probably no older than four years old. She was crying. Jack tried to reach out his hand, but she screamed for her mother and father.

"No no, sshhhhhh. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Get away from me! Where are my parents!"

"That's why I'm here. Can you tell me what happened?" She wiped away the tears on her face, trying to speak.

"T-there were soldiers... They came out of nowhere. And they started hurting us. My parents told me to hide when they got close to the house... I heard gunshots, and voices. I just want my parents."

"It's ok I'll find them. These soldiers... Where did they go?"

"I... I think some of them are still here."

"Alright. Stay here. Don't make any noise, I'll let you know when it's safe to come out, ok?" Jack picked up his rifle, and had the little girl hide in the closet again. He made a promise to find her parents, and he would keep it. She said some of the soldiers might still be here... Jack walked outside, hearing voices nearby. They didn't sound like team STRQ. They had this accent to it... Moving to a nearby wall, Jack crouched down, peering out to see what was happening. The soldiers wore German uniforms. Sounds like they needed some help with a base... Defenses to keep those beasts outside. Then Jack saw Summer across the street. Doing the same as Jack, but with the rest of team STRQ. Jack gave a thumbs up, and Summer took out her weapon, but he signaled not to engage just yet. He pointed to his eyes, and then to her. She got the picture. Jack took a deep breath, and then exhaled. Walking towards the two soldiers, he put his arms around them, and started walking off to God knows where. Time to put his German lessons to good use. Thank you cousin Hans.

"Hey Leute, ich bin irgendwie neu hier und habe mich gefragt. Wo zum Teufel kann ich kaffee bekommen?" Hopefully this will work. Fingers crossed.

"Wir sind alle neu hier, dummkopf. Nun komm schon, solange du di nicht über den geschmack beklagst." One soldier replied, albeit in a not very welcoming manner. They were walking to the camp. Team STRQ was in pursuit, staying close behind. Hopefully this wouldn't take forever...

* * *

"So what happened when you arrived at that camp," Ruby asked.

"Eager for more, huh? Well I'll tell you the rest tomorrow. Just remind me in the morning," said Jack. The fire was warming the house nicely from the cold. It was snowing outside, and it was nice to watch the ground be covered in a blanket of white. Ruby looked around the house. It was a nice, big cabin. A kitchen was combined with a dining room, complete with an oven, and a sink. A full dining set with a nice table and four chairs. The fourth chair was probably for a guest. Down the hallway behind her, there were four doors. One led to Jack- her father's bedroom. Maybe he shared it with Summer years ago. The door right next to it led to a bathroom. The final two doors were most likely more bedrooms. One for Ruby, and the other presumably used as a guest room. Jack spoke again, "Alright, well I'm off to hit the sack. The door in the back left of the hall is yours, Ruby. It would be best if you stayed, especially since it's as cold as Hell outside."

"Ok. Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, Ruby." Jack went in his room and closed the door. He didn't want anybody disturbing his sleep. Ruby got up, and walked down the hall. She opened the door on her left and turned the light on. The room itself looked beautiful. Untouched for so long, although it was cleaned. The walls were painted red. Specifically the Ruby red shade. Nothing else caught her eye except for the cozy looking bed. Ruby knew she was tired. So, like every night before she went to sleep, she tip toed over to the cookie jar, and picked one out. She ate the thing in two bites, and then ran back to her bed, and dozed off. The house fell silent. Everyone was asleep. Quietly dreaming about stories, guns, cookies, the occasional ice cream, war, tanks, planes, death, etc. Only for one, it was more of a nightmare.


	4. Nightmares and Relations

It was morning. The light was shining in Jack's room through the window next to his bed. He had slept in his uniform, not bothering to do anything before he collapsed on his bed, drifting off to sleep immediately. His rifle, an M103 Springfield, rested against the wall next to him. On his bedside table at the other side of the bed, a record player was on. The song wasn't known well for Jack. It was more or less to calm him down in case he had a nightmare. This was one of those days. It started with him talking in a faint whisper, then it grew louder an louder. Until it became loud screams and thrashes as he flailed his arms and legs around thinking someone was pinning him down about to kill him.

"N-no! Get off me! Get the fuck off me! You sons of bitches!" He was moving his left arm, reaching for his revolver. In his mind, there were explosions all over. Gas in the air. He pushed the enemy soldier off of him, and looked around. Bloodied and broken. He kneeled in the Hell that was made to swallow him whole. The Devil has found him. It was only a matter of time. The gas was slowly creeping over to where he was, an when it finally made contact with his skin, Jack realized he wasn't wearing his gas mask. His face was burning, every single inch of exposed skin was on fire. It burned his eyes, choked his lungs. He looked in a nearby puddle, an saw himself. His skin was leaving him. Exposing the muscle and other tissues. Then it started to rain. Nighttime. The searchlights were on, and he was in the middle of No Man's Land. Skeletons were everywhere. Then Jack felt something. Something hit him in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he realized there was a huge opening inside his stomach. His organs were about to spill out until he put his arms over the wound. He screamed out in agony, wanting this Hell to end.

Meanwhile, in his bedroom, a pair of white boots with black high heels walked along the floor. A black -gloved hand reached out gently on his shoulders. The person was trying to calm Jack down, but to no avail. Then the person noticed his revolver on the floor. Jack must've dropped it when he was trying to grab it out of the holdster. The unknown figure crouched down and picked it up to inspect it. Jack knew it as the Webley Mk. IV. When the unknown person inspected it, they looked at the cartridge. All slots were empty except one. If Jack had his hands on it, it probably wouldn't have ended well. The figure was going to put it back down, but a few frantic knocks on the door froze them in their tracks. Ruby came barging in with her weapon drawn. When she saw the figure, she immediately aimed at them. Ruby knew who she was looking at... Neo, who drew her weapon out of the umbrella sheath.

"What are you doing here?! Get away from my father!" Ruby screamed at Neo, getting ready for an attack. Neo just paused. Looked at Jack, who was still screaming, and then back at Ruby. She looked around the room for something, probably paper and something to write. Finding a journal on Jack's desk, she tore out a piece of paper, and took a pen off of the desk. Ruby tried to look and see what she was writing, but Neo was being like the one kid who is always like, "don't look! It's a surprise!"

When she was finished, she handed the paper to Ruby, who read it slowly.

"That's impossible! He's my father too! Also, shouldn't we wake him up?" Both just stared at each other for a minute until Ruby spoke.

"Go and get some ice water." Neo obliged. A minute later, she returned with a glass filled with snow from outside. "Happy late Father's Day?" Ruby joked, as Neo turned the glass upside down, making the snow fall out of the glass and onto Jack's face.

"Gah! Where am I?!" Jack screamed as he sat up. Sweat was glistening on his forehead. He looked around like an owl on the hunt for food. His eyes wide with fear and alertness.

"Easy Dad. It's alright. You're at the house." Ruby calmed him down, since Neo didn't speak.

"The house? Oh right... I was having another nightmare... That was one of the reasons why I loved your mother. She was there for me, even when I didn't want her to worry... Wait... How long did you wait to wake me up?"

"I woke up a couple of minutes ago, and then I barged in here wondering if you were ok, when I found her of all people here! So Dad, please explain!" Both girls crossed their arms and looked at Jack, waiting for an answer.

"Neo. Ruby. You're sisters. Blood related. Neo was first born, six years earlier than you, Ruby. It's funny. Neo, your eyes are unique. Brown, pink, even white. Hell, you can even change them to green. Also I remember when you were two, you loved the neapolitan ice cream so much, you dyed half your hair pink and had some white streaks. In fact it's your namesake kiddo. That's why we named you Neo. Your eyes. Pink and brown."

"But why not just have us all eat dinner together," asked Ruby.

"Well, one, I was coming home with you after fourteen years. Two, she was sleeping. Anyways, what's for breakfast, I'm starving." Jack walked into the kitchen, and looked through the cupboards. "Let's see here, uh... Rations, rations, rations, rations, cookies, rations, ice cream, rations, pancakes, eggs... Who wants omelets?" Both sisters raised their hands in unison. Jack chuckled and said something about when they were younger. Ruby and Neo sat down at the table, and Ruby turned to speak.

"So you were born six yers before me? Did you know Mom?" Neo took the paper from earlier and wrote.

"Yeah, she was so cool! She always came back from missions with her team and told me about them, they were amazing!... I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to really know her."

"It's fine. Besides, Dad's been telling me stories about himself, so eventually, he'll start talking about what happened to Mom." Ruby responded. "Hey so, about everything that happened with Roman Torchwick and all... No hard feelings?" Neo started writing again.

"Don't worry, we're fine as of now. Oh and to be honest, I will miss him. He may have been stupid, or crazy, or just plain old Roman, but he was my Roman."

"Also, I don't mean to be rude, but... Why can't you speak?" Neo took a deep breath, and wrote a few words.

"It's a long story... I'm sure Dad will get to it at some point. I have to admit though, it is really annoying when people either bring it up, or they say the word 'talk'. It reminds me of everything..." Ruby was about to say something, but Jack brought the plates with the omelets over and set them on the table. Before he went back to the kitchen, he stopped, and put his hand on Neo's shoulder, patting it a few times. Ruby whispered to Neo,

"So why did you have his gun in your hands?" A few seconds later, she got her answer.

"It was on the floor, so I was just going to put it on the table. The barrel swung down, and I saw the cartridge... There was only one bullet loaded. And I don't think Dad even has an Aura..." Tears were forming in Neo's eyes. Ruby hugged her, as Neo hugged back, silently crying. Jack was watching this happen. He smiled. Even though one was crying, a single tear formed in one eye, and rolled down his cheek. His two daughters were finally together after all these years. The only thing that was missing was Summer. His sweet Summer Rose... He frowned a little... They'd know eventually... But they should. Summer didn't deserve what happened to her... It was all Jack's fault. He blamed himself... And so did the world. But for now, he was happy for once. And that was all that mattered.

The two soldiers had led Jack into their camp with team STRQ following close behind. Walking around, Jack heard sobbing in one of the houses or barracks... Whatever they were. He looked around, it was nighttime. The guards were patrolling still yes, but hopefully they were changing shift now. He opened the door, and there were civilians inside. When they saw him at first, they were scared.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here to get you out. The guards should be changing shift now, I snuck in here a few hours ago. Get outside the main gate, stay behind the trees. A team of huntsman are there to help." They all walked out slowly, and then moved for the main entrance. One woman stopped in front of him.

"Thank you, sir. Did you happen to see my daughter anywhere?"

"She is in one of the houses back at your village. I told her to stay hidden in a closet upstairs. She's safe."

"Thank the Gods! Oum bless you, sir." She ran out to join the others. Jack walked out and got spotted immediately.

"Halt!" Shouted a soldier, as they fired a few rounds at Jack. He started running for the gate, seeing team STRQ close by. They were directing the civilians back to the village, as they saw Jack get tackled and captured. A simple investigation turned rescue mission turned another rescue mission. Some of the guards fired into the woods, hitting the ground or trees. Team STRQ looked out of cover as they saw Jack get taken away, most likely to be interrogated. This was going to be a long night.


	5. Behind Enemy Lines

"Agh... Never start with the head the victim gets all fuzzy..." The interrogator slammed his fist onto Jack's, which didn't hurt thanks to the numbness after having his head slammed in the table. "See?"

"What were you doing? Why are you here? Were you sent to spy on our camp?" The interrogator kept asking Jack those questions over and over. Jack just gave the same answer.

"How the fuck should I know? You Krauts are smart, figure it out yourself!" The interrogator sighed.

"Alright, put him with the others." Jack was taken out of the small building and thrown into a prison close by. The prison itself was just a normal prison. Small, board like cots and one light hanging above the ceiling. There were three others in the small room, and from the looks of the uniforms, they were on the same side Jack was on. When the three men saw Jack in a German uniform, they all got up and cornered him.

"Well well well. Looks like the Hun threw another one of their own in here, huh Scott," said one of the soldiers. He looked pale, his blue eyes looked hopeful, probably for a way out of the enemy camp. From the sound of his voice with an accent like that, Jack could tell he was from New York.

"Aye. C'mon lad, let's show this bastard what the rest of them did to us all," said another soldier. He was definitely Scottish. From the sound of his voice to the way he acted, he was definitely from somewhere in Scotland.

"Hey, guys, I'm not a Jerry! I'm American," said Jack, trying to explain.

"Yeah right! You could be part Kraut! And your accent sounds off. Also, you're wearing one of their uniforms," said the New Yorker.

"Nice observation there, dumbass. I was fucking captured and sent back out in their uniform."

"Alright, easy. Both of you. We need to get out of here. Alert Rear Command and obliterate the Jerries before everything goes to shit," said the Scott.

"Wait, what are you talking about," asked Jack.

"I'm saying that there's a whole bloody network of these camps scattered around the forests. Command tasked our unit with getting information of everything. Logistics, whereabouts, what they're planning."

"And then you got captured... Well it seems like you boys have done a fan-fucking tastic job," responded Jack.

"I'd like to see you try. See how hard it is infiltrating an enemy camp for four months."

"Fair point. So how do you suppose we get out?"

"Well first, we need someone who's stationed here. A Kraut I mean. Preferably someone who either wants to defect, or refused an order from a higher up. Problem is, they're either all dead or about to be shot," said the New Yorker.

"Yeah, but there's another prison nearby. I think it houses ex soldiers, so the others can talk to 'em," said the Scott. "Now, they'll take you pretty soon, to another building where you'll get a prison uniform. So as you enter, you'll have to act fast and take out the guards. Get a key, with spare uniforms, and come back here, free us, and then we'll see if there's an actual Kraut still alive, yeah?"

Jack sighed. "Right. I'll hopefully see you boys soon, here they come." Two soldiers stepped in, taking Jack with them. Locking the cell door behind him as he walked out, they made their way into another building, it was a cleaning station as well as a clothing area. The two soldiers stood guard inside, facing the door, since well... They respect people's privacy. Jack stared at the prison uniform, and then at the guards. He had one shot at this, and it was going to be a very slim chance of stupidity. He walked behind one of the guards, and started choking the life out of him. The other guard quickly noticed this, and tried to get Jack off him, however when he was shoved back, the guard grabbed his rifle and tried to stab Jack with the bayonet. Unfortunately, the first guard was put in front of the attack, and impaled, bleeding to death now. Jack dropped the soon to be corpse and rushed the other guard, each trying to overpower the other for the rifle. Jack was hit by the butt of the gun, and pushed back, and the guard tried to make his move. He thrusted the blade at Jack, hoping to kill him, but Jack caught the barrel, stopping the blade mere inches away from his heart. The guard tried to keep going, pushing a little, but Jack finally moved to the side, letting go of the rifle, and the bayonet was lodged in the wall. Jack punched the guard in the side of the face, knocking him on the ground, as well as his helmet off his head. Before the guard could get up, Jack quickly grabbed the helmet, and bashed the guards face in with it, dropping the helmet, now bloodied, on the floor.

* * *

"Wait, you're saying you beat those two soldiers alone, when one could've shot you on the spot," asked Ruby, clearly stating what should've happened, with Neo nodding her head in agreement.

"I guess he just wanted to use his bayonet for a change. Either that, or he probably didn't want to shoot in a camp filled with his friends," countered Jack. Ruby started to argue, but her father cut her off. "No interrupting."

* * *

Jack quickly found the key in the guard's pocket, uncuffing himself, and cuffing one of the guards instead... Not that it mattered... Probably. He looked to the door, hearing someone knocking, asking something in German. Probably to see if everything was alright. Damnit... Time to improvise...

"Uhh Nein! Mir get ist gut danke... Wie geht es ihnen?" Asked, Jack, don't his best at the moment, quickly remembering he needs to grab two German uniforms, and lucklily, two are in the same room as him.

"Was auch immer..." Said whoever was on the other side of the door, his footsteps fading away into silence. With that distraction gone, Jack quickly stripped the two guards of their uniforms, and dumped the bodies into the bins under the prison uniforms. He grabbed the bread bags of the uniforms, and stuffed them inside each bag. Walking out of the building, he quickly made his way back with little to no trouble, giving the other two prisoners the uniforms, and guarding the cell door so no one got suspiscious.

The two stepped outside in their "new" uniforms, albeit, both were a bit bloodied, but they could use the "talking with the prisoners" excuse... If the Germans never find out that there are no prisoners anymore that is. They walked around the camp, making a mental note of where things were such as the armory, sentry posts, entrances, etc. One building however was different. Not in terms of the material made to construct it, but in terms of what it contained. Crystals of a variety of colors. And blueprints for something... What it was, well... The three couldn't say. The Scott took one crystal, and pulled out a camera, snapping photos of the blueprints and the crystals. Now all that was left was to find that defecting German. They came across the last building that wasn't checked, and entered. It was another prison, but the group wasn't expecting to hear the groans of dying men. Granted those kept in the cell were fed and cleaned and received a doctor sometimes, but it was most likely disease. There was only one soldier who wasn't dying or anything. It was his lucky day.

"Hey," the New Yorker whispered, "can you understand English?"

"Ja. I take it you're here to rescue me," asked the German, not really enthusiastic, but still sounding thankful.

"Indeed. Now, c'mon. Before the whole fucking garrison catches wind that we're out and about," said the Scott, unlocking the cell by bashing the lock with the butt of his rifle. The door was opened, and the German, reluctant to leave his dying friends, was welcome to leave them, as they knew their time was up. The group of three now became four, and left the prison. It was the break of dawn, and before they knew it, the alarm was sounded, as the soldiers in the camp ran, frantically searching for the escapees. The four made a break for it, and when they got out the main gate, they were spotted, firing back at the sentries.

The four men hid in the woods, staying silent as the enemy passed them, slowly wandering through the forest. The sound of their boots hitting the ground with each step. The hearts of the four escapees pounding in their chests. Hoping they wouldn't be spotted, when one of the enemy soldiers started shooting in the distance. The four either couldn't hear or just wasn't paying attention to what him or his friend were saying, but the rattling of bushes made the guy who shot in the distance move close, his gun readied.

The four debated shooting them in the back, but chose against it as to not alert the others nearby. Just then, a creature black as night, covered in what looked like bone and blood red eyes. It snarled, clawing at the closest one there, tearing his stomach open, and his organs almost spilling out as he fell to the ground. The other called his friends to him, and immediately started firing at the monster. The four quickly got up and ran away, albeit back towards the enemy camp. They made it look like they were injured with Jack dragging the Scott along the ground, firing back into the woods, and the German and the New Yorker limping back.

"What the fuck was that thing," asked Jack.

"Don't know. Don't care. I just wanna get as far away from it as possible," said the New Yorker.

"Agreed... Hey, never had the time, but what are your names?"

"I'm Henry. Henry Russel," said the New Yorker.

"Michael Torchwick," said the Scott.

"Wilhelm Schultz. Und you are," asked the German.

"Jack Murphy. Pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen, but I wish it were under better circumstances. Michael, how far is Rear Command?"

"That's the thing. Nobody knows. Rear Command doesn't exist. It's a code word for someone we don't know, and that someone is giving out orders to fight this war."

"What? Well then where the fuck do we go? Do we even have a command structure in this army?!"

"Of course we do. It's just that we don't know the people who are giving us orders."

"Oh. Well can we trust them?"

"They've been giving us valuable info for a while, as well as a new home in this strange world of theirs, Murphy. I think we can."

"Right. So how far is wherever we have to go?"

"About 50km," said Henry.

"Und I'm guessing you don't have a car," asked Wilhelm.

"No... We have to walk," said Michael, when he heard a clicking sound behind him, and a gun pressed against his head. The other three turned to Michael, seeing a Kraut behind him, with a pistol against his head. More soldiers appeared behind the trees, surrounding them, all pointing their rifles at the four. They were forced on the ground, stripped of their weapons, and searched them, taking the crystal, and forcing them in cuffs, walking them back to camp, and tying them to wooden beams stuck in the ground.

* * *

"C'mon, girls, let's go for a drive," said Jack, walking outside his home, entering his car, and started it up. Neo and Ruby followed, getting in the back seats. They drove off, heading to wherever it was the father was taking them. It was going to be a long drive from the looks of it.

* * *

The Krauts formed in a line, aiming their rifles at the four, about to shoot. The Kommadant gave the order to fire. And the last thing anyone heard... Was the rifles firing... And the men screaming...

* * *

 **Hey, everyone. ImperialWolves here. Sorry this chapter took forever, I'm kinda busy with school and stuff. I'm getting back into this, so please be patient with release. Thank you for reading my stories and be on the lookout for the next chapter.**


	6. Grounded

The end was here, everyone knew it. From the four men sentenced to death by a firing squad, to the soldiers ready to pull the trigger. When the shots were fired, they screamed out in fear. The four themselves heard screaming as well. Likely from the men in front of them. They all heard the shots fire, but the four never felt anything hit. More shots rang out, and the blowing of whistles and cries of men in the distance. It was raining. From where they stood, the dirt was mud. They were blindfolded, but they felt like they were back on Earth in Europe. Back in the trenches right next to No Man's Land, and they probably were. This world was strange, so unlike Earth, but so very similar. The screaming stopped, and the blindfolds were removed, revealing Allied faces. They untied the four, saving them from the arms of death. Some faces were pleased, others annoyed, with a few men wondering if losing their fellow soldiers was the price for four strangers they hardly knew. It would be worse when they found out one of the rescued is a Kraut. Henry saluted an officer nearby, thanking him and his men.

"Sir, thank you for saving our asses. Lord knows what would've happened if you weren't here."

"Sure thing, Sergeant, just remember, my orders were to have my men assault this camp. Rescuing you just happened to be... Optional," responded the officer. "Anyways, you should get a move on with your squad, quickly. Colonel Shepard is waiting for your report. The full report," responded the Officer, saluting back at Henry.

"Devil's in the details, yes sir. I suppose you have a means of getting to HQ faster than on foot," asked Henry.

"Yes. Technology from this world. We have our own being trained to use it, so for now, we have volunteers from a country known as Atlas. I hear they're the military power here. Anyways, they call it a 'Bullhead'. Strange name... It's a few yards away from here, should be nearby that village you passed on the way. Oh and one more thing, we found a group of four. They said they were trying to rescue one Corporal Jack Murphy. I assume he is part of your squad?"

"He is now, Sir. He helped us escape. Well... For about half an hour."

"Right. Anyways, get your men on that bullhead, and get to HQ. We'll secure this camp here. Good luck, Sergeant."

"Good luck to you too, Captain... Oh, and sir. We encountered a structure in the center of camp. It houses some strange crystals as well as blueprints for something."

"Right, I'll take care of it from here." Both men gave a final salute and parted ways. Henry came back to the other three and they all left for the bullhead outside the camp.

"That was close, wasn't it," asked Michael, thinking about what would've happened had the "cavalry" come later.

"Yeah well, I've gotten used to being at the gates often. You'll get used to it too," said Jack.

"Easy for you to say, Murphy. You're probable a magnet for this shite," responded Michael.

"Probably. But it appears I have either luck or God on my side."

"Don't brag about it too much. You might run out of luck."

"Right. Anyways, the bullhead is right there. Let's board it and get out of-"

"Jack!" Summer yelled, running up to him, hugging him and quickly releasing him after realizing what she did. The other three men just looked at her then at Jack, grinning and walking off. They themselves boarded the bullhead, telling the pilot who was being impatient to shut the hell up and stay grounded. "I uh... I'm sorry. Thank Oum you're alright."

"It's alright, Summer. What happened when I got captured?"

"Well we went straight to Ozpin to let him know what happened, and were about to leave but he just stopped us. He told us to wait for a day and then go back. Now I know why he told us that. Also that village from earlier thanks you."

"Huh. Well ain't that something. I gotta get on that bullhead by the way."

"Oh.. well do you think you'll be back soon?"

"I dunno. We're fighting a war. Listen, Summer, you can tag along, but if we get into a fight, you gotta be careful."

"Well so do you! Besides, I'm a Huntress, I can fight." Summer took out her weapon, showing off her double bladed scythe. It was a very beautifully crafted weapon from the looks. She made it herself too. "See? With this beauty I can easily neutralize any foe I come across. Same with the rest of my team."

"Yeah, but I along with the rest of these soldiers don't have an aura."

"Wait what?"

Jack sighed. "Summer, do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Give me your hand." Summer reached out her hand, as Jack took out his knife. He placed the blade in her palm, slashing it. The cut on her palm started to heal instantly. Jack then took out his hand after wiping the blood off the blade, slashing his palm. He started bleeding from the cut. It would not heal. "See?" Summer was horrified, thinking how this was possible, and how many hits someone could take before... Well, she stopped there. She didn't wanna think about it anymore.

"L-let's get to the Bullhead," she said, walking fast. Jack followed behind, both getting on, telling the pilot to take off to wherever it was they're going to. Jack sat down, saw his three brothers in arms, and the rest of team STRQ. Qrow asked them how they've been, with Michael giving him a reply filled with sarcasm.

"Hey, I'm just asking," said Qrow, drinking out of a flask. Everyone, except his team thought it was alcohol, but Qrow doesn't drink. Not yet at least. He tried making a joke towards Jack when they first met, but he didn't laugh. The only liquid that was in the flask, was water.

"Just asking... Yeah sure. Ask us what it's like to get mowed down in a muddied wasteland where the only things to keep you company are your dead or dying friends bleeding out beside you while bullets are flying everywhere, men and children screaming to literal death only for Hell itself to swallow ya in the mud, never to be seen again!" Michael stood up, grabbing Qrow by the collar. "Cause listen up, lad, if you were there with one of the four of us, no matter who you were with, you'd experience Hell, burning itself in your head, and you can't get it out no matter what you do!"

"Torchwick, calm down. We have all been there at one point und we share similar horrors," said Wilhelm. Michael took a deep breath, and let go of Qrow.

"I'm sorry. Just... Sick of this shit. Can't wait to get back home."

"Don't we all." Said, Henry.

"You guys must have some major issues." Said Tai. Everyone stayed quiet. Raven herself wouldn't speak.

"Pilot, what's our ETA?"

"About 13 minutes. Just gotta go a few clicks and- Woah!" The pilot bugged out, taking evasive action as a few planes flew past the bullhead, firing their guns. The eight passengers were jostled in the back, losing their balance.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Enemy fighters!"

"The Krauts brought planes here?!"

"Nein, didn't bring them. We salvaged them! Restored them." The planes circled back, firing again, then flying past, disappearing into the clouds. The pilot calmed down, flying into a clearing and out of the clouds. He turned around, speaking up.

"Well I think we lost them in the clo-" the window shattered, shrapnel and glass hitting him in the face, with some hitting his eye, killing him. The bullhead started to fall into a hail of shells fired from anti-air guns.

"Shit, who can fly?" Henry, screamed. Jack quickly pulled the pilot out of the seat, trying his best to keep his balance. He sat down, pulling hard on the yoke, until the thing stabilized. He had the thrusters go full throttle until he heard an alarm go off. He looked at the panel, telling him that an engine was failing, with another already gone. He looked out the cockpit window. The left wing was shattered, the engine on fire. The right wing was completely missing.

"Everyone brace for impact," yelled Jack. The alarm kept blaring for a few seconds, and everything went black, with a faint explosion.

* * *

"Captain, look!" The Captain stepped in the doorway, seeing the large quantity of crystals as well as a few blueprints.

"Good work, Private. Get back to your squad." The boy nodded, running off. The Captain smiled. He pulled out a scroll. It had blood on the screen. He put it up to his ear, calling someone. "Colonel Shepard, sir. We have it."

"Excellent, Captain. You have done well," a voice said on the other line.

"Thank you, sir. Any further orders?" The Captain turned around, seeing a squad assembled. A few of their own and many Germans, as well as a few of the locals mixed in. One family was scared, especially their child.

"I think we both know what needs to be done, Captain."

"Yes, sir." He put the scroll away, gesturing to another squad, this time full friendly. "No witnesses!" The squad opened fire and the people from earlier screamed as they were disposed of.


	7. Underground

"So this camp was where you were captured," Ruby asked, looking at what was once the entrance of a small encampment. The outer wall was missing, rotting wood, or ash now.

"Yeah. It was, but now it's destroyed. All overgrown and forgotten about," Jack said, walking in listening. Listening to silence. Both Neo and Ruby followed, albeit cautiously. Both girls were ready to draw weapons if they heard anything, but continued to follow their father. He was silent, seemingly remembering his time here, or just thinking.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Why are we here in the first place? I mean, I get you're giving us a recap of what happened years ago, but, why here?"

Jack sighed. "Because, Ruby, I want you both to realize that overtime the planet heals to a certain extent. Either naturally through overgrowth of plant life and animals, or by human means of destruction. I want you both to realize that when I'm gone, all this, and the people from my world and twenty five years ago will be forgotten. Over time at least." Jack stopped, looking around, until he saw a few silouhettes in the distance. He gestured to them. "And if not all of us... Then most of us."

"What do you mean? Are those... Statues?" Ruby squinted, getting a bit closer. She kept getting closer and closer to it. The things looked like a bunch of ice sculptures of soldiers probably based off of those from Earth. It was like Weiss had been through here. They were remarkable though. Everything looked like they were chiseled out from giant blocks of ice. They weren't melting though, strange... She stuck out her pointer finger, just to give it a poke. When her finger hit the icy surface, the whole damn thing just shattered like glass, the only feeling from it was the fact that it as cold to the touch, albeit briefly, but it was probably cold enough to freeze someone without an aura. The pieces were scattered on the ground and it looked like something was inside each fragment. Ruby gasped when this happened, only for Neo to pull her back. Jack just stared at the remains of the sculpture.

"Those aren't statues. Or ice sculptures. Neo, take your sister to the car. If it starts raining before I get back, drive home." He started walking away, his daughters left for the car, Ruby scared out of her mind. Next time they left the house it wouldn't be something that'd leave Ruby sobbing and rambling in Neo's shoulder. Neo tried to speak, her voice still gone. "I know, Neo. It wasn't her fault though."

He walked along the ground. Charred in some places, overgrown in others. He found the central building that used to house those dust crystals. He hated those things. Especially with how they could be used for war. He hoped those men outside went quickly and painlessly. Jack moved on, he'd come back in a few minutes. First he went to where the firing squad was assembled. The wall was old. Worn out. Decaying, with the still strong scent of iron.

Once there, he saw that the corpses hadn't been moved, still in their attire and rotting, almost full skeletons now from what he could see. Some bodies were in both Entente and Central Powers uniforms. Mostly Germans for the CP, some Austro-Hungarian. The Entente had some French, British, a few Americans scattered around. There might even been a Russian or two, it was hard to tell though. The uniforms were riddled with bullet holes and caked with dry blood. Same with the civilians further down. Some Faunus, others Human.

"Captain, what the fuck did you do," Jack said to himself. He saw some bodies holding one another. One looked to be a mother, the other one a child. The child was probably the same one Jack encountered so many years ago. He made the sign of a cross. He would bury them soon. But not now. Now was the time to take one last looksee at the lab.

Jack walked over there, hanging his head. He didn't know if that sonofabitch was dead or alive, but the next time he sees him, it won't be pretty. He stepped in the ruins of the wooden shack, looking around, searching for anything. Listening to his boots hitting the wooden floor, he heard a slight change in tone. Tapping his right foot along the floor, he found it again. He got down on his knees, brushing the floor with his gloved hands, eventually finding a small, almost unnoticeable grip in the floorboards. Pulling hard, he swung it open. A trap door. He looked through the hole, it was pitch black. He could only see a ladder. It wasn't rusted, so it could've been recent.

Taking out a flare, and lighting it, Jack dropped it down the shaft, hearing it drop after three seconds. Getting his revolver, he reloaded it, keeping it in his right hand. He climbed down the ladder, seeing the faintest of lights. He started towards it, dropping more flares as he went, leaving a trail. The light was getting brighter now. Jack could hear something, sounded like a record playing on a gramophone. As he reached the end of the tunnel, he gently pressed his hand against the wall, feeling for a handle or some kind of lever. He eventually found it, pulling it with all his might, swinging the door open to reveal an empty room. There was a curtain straight out of a mental asylum, with a trail of black liquid mixed with blood on the floor.

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound as if someone knocked over a table. Wherever it came from, Jack had to follow the trail. It seemed fresh too. He moved on, pushing the curtain out of the way, hearing the sound of someone humming echoing off the walls. The trail was scattered, a hand print here and there, with long strokes on the floor and the wall. That same black liquid oozing down the wall and dripping from the ceiling. Jack looked to his left and then his right, seeing cells with rotting corpses and skeletons. Some had what became of the Grimm when slain. He moved through the hall, ready to shoot whatever was through the doors in front of him.

The door opened, and Jack stepped inside the next room, seeing a bed at the far wall. The room was an early 1900's styled bedroom. Whoever slept here was from Earth.

"You can close the door behind you, Mr. Murphy. Our time is short." Jack looked to his right, seeing an old man with a British accent. He was sitting in an old wooden chair that creaked with every slight movement. He was writing something down in a journal.

"Captain. I see you're alive." Jack responded, making his hands into fists.

"I am afraid that if you came here looking for a fight, believe me, you will find none. My strength has left me, I am but an empty shell of what once was."

"That makes my job easier then. Albeit less satisfying."

"Is that why you came here, Mr. Murphy? To get "revenge" for all those people I had killed? Besides, I was only following orders, and doing what was necessary to ensure that the Great War would end quickly."

"Quickly?! It went on for another ten years because of what we did! If we hadn't screwed around with Dust like it was a fucking toy, then the war would've ended a lot sooner than that! Not to mention trying to turn an entire continent into No Man's Land."

"Yes, I admit, it wasn't the... Best decision that we have made, but, it was necessary. Besides, we were ensured our way back home."

"To Earth."

"Yes. And we have been cheated of that promise. All of us."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure a good few of us decided to stay."

"Indeed, but it doesn't matter. I see an even greater conflict happening in these coming days. But, I won't live to see it myself."

"What are you talking about?" The Captain stayed silent. Jack walked up, and slammed his face into the table. "ANSWER!"

"It's too late, Mr. Murphy... As I fear, it will spill into this world from Earth, as the Great War did itself."

"You mean a second Great War?! When? How?"

"All I know is that She is preparing..."

"She? Who in the hell is... Agh..." Jack's head started to hurt. He fell to his hands and knees, almost vomiting on the floor. He saw flashes of what seemed like Earth, on fire and destroyed again, this time it was much worse. His vision blackened for a few seconds, coming back to him quickly as he stood up, feeling fine. He looked around, the Captain was sitting in his chair. The body was slumped over and mangled, deep cuts all around and it was as if something tore open his chest and decided to make art out of his entrails. The Captain needless to say, was dead. "Jesus Christ!" Jack started to run, slamming the doors open, and rushing back out the bloodied mess of a room, into the dark hall with a trail of flares.

Before he got to the ladder, he stopped dead in his tracks, squinting at something... It was a sillouhette of a man.

"H-hey, who the hell are you? You should go back up to the surface!" The sillouhette wouldn't move, only standing there in Jack's way, blocking his path towards escaping whatever hell this place is. He grew impatient, drawing his revolver. "I said MOVE!" But the thing stayed still and eerily silent. 'Fuck it,' Jack thought, firing at the man, unloading two shots, one at the chest and the other at the head. He staggered for a couple of seconds, before marching towards Jack, seemingly unscathed. Jack started backing away.

Eventually they reached the light, and the thing that was charging at Jack wasn't human. It had ghastly pale white skin, black veins all around, deep blood red eyes, and rotting skin, with some bones showing. Jack pulled a large glass cabinet down, trying to delay the abomination in front of him, the glass shattered with a loud crash, and the former human looked at it for a while, having Jack storm into the Captain's room, locking the doors. For Jack, the cabinet was heavy, but the abomination lifted it up with ease, tossing it at the wooden doors and bursting the room open.

When the dust settled, Jack had taken the journal, and was quickly studying it, hoping to find something, anything to kill it. However, with no time left, he fired the remaining four shots into it, hitting the right knee, the left forearm, the right eye, and the stomach. Nothing stopped it, and Jack tried to quickly reload, when he was grabbed, and tossed towards the Captain's body. He grabbed his knife, and as the thing got closer, he charged with a yell, stabbing it in the heart. It had no reaction when the knife plunged deep in its chest. Jack tried getting away, sliding back until he felt the wall behind him. It grabbed the knife, yanking it out of Its chest, and in turn, impaling Jack in the side. He screamed out in pain, and seeing no way out, no way he would see his daughters again, knowing they were safe, he yelled.

"DO IT! YOU SONOFABITCH!"

It reached out its arm, claws almost scratching at Jack's skin, and Jack braced himself for the end...

* * *

Jack woke up in the car, he was in the back, Neo at the wheel. She turned around to face her father, giving a faint smile.

"It started to rain," she said.


	8. Any Landing You Can Walk Away From

Time stopped. Nothing was happening now, just a man, bracing for Death to finally make her cold rendevous with him. The abomination that was to silence him, froze, just as he and everything else did. It was a human, now an experiment, a successful one at that, having been brought back from Death's cold grasp, and reborn anew, becoming a new creature of Grimm. You could probably do the same to live specimens, but it didn't matter. Yet.

In the darkness of the dimly lit room was a certain type of Grimm that allowed its Master to gaze upon the world through it, and to do her dirty work. A seer. It was watching. She was watching.

Just then, part of the room shattered like glass. Neo appeared, gasping in shock at the abomination that was to kill and horribly mutilate her father. She didn't want to think of what should've happened. She saw that he had been stabbed, and was most likely bleeding out. She quickly picked him up, and in a split second, she, along with her father, were gone. Time resumed like normal, and the fractured glass reverted back to normal.

"Interesting." She said, recalling the Seer.

* * *

"Hey, look! These guys must be from that one place... Europe?" Said a faint voice. It was that of a male, unfamiliar.

"Yeah, but who cares? If they're dead, we can loot the bodies. If not, well we can kill them and then loot them." Said one of a female, also unfamiliar.

"Alright let's check the-"

"Help up you idiots!" Said Raven.

"Raven... W-we had no idea you were... Shit... You're not gonna ... Agh!" Screamed the man. A thud. Then another scream. Female this time. And another thud. Michael watched them drop dead in the night, the fire on the bullhead was burning bright enough to see that from his angle.

"You should've just let 'em try and get to me, I'd have shot them from here," he said, making Raven give a light chuckle.

"Very funny. Now where was I?"

"Friends of yours I take it."

"A clan, and what a waste of a clan it is." She looked around, remembering Qrow was in the wreckage as well as the rest of her team. She helped Qrow up first.

"Raven? What happened to those two?" He asked.

"Later. For now, let's get Taiyang and Summer and get out of here. Our home is nearby."

"Home? Not again, Raven... Dad's gonna be pissed."

"Trust me. Now let's go."

"Hey, you better not forget about us. We have a job to do." Said Henry, slightly coughing, and trying to get some debris off himself.

"Forget about you? How could we?" Said Raven, in a sarcastic manner. "Qrow, go scout the area and see if anymore of those dumbasses are nearby?"

"Right. And Raven. Don't do what you feel like doing." Qrow said, walking off and climbing a nearby tree before jumping between them. They wouldn't fly yet. Not for another few short years.

Raven walked over towards Henry, who was trapped under the dead pilot and a part of the right wing. She could kill him and the other three. It's be so easy to do. But unfortunately, they were needed. With the help of her semblance, she lifted the wing off of him as well as the corpse, helping him up.

"Thanks. Any idea where we are?" Asked Henry, looking around seeing nothing but trees below the mountain that the Bullhead crashed on. If only Jack could actually fly a working Bullhead. Speaking of Jack, he was currently unconscious in the cockpit with a piece of metal impaled through his lower right abdomen, blood soaking part of his uniform. The dashboard sparking, the windshield shattered and cracked. The siren was blaring and the light flashing red. It was probably about to slide off the cliff. Summer was in the bullhead resting and Michael was lying back against the body of the bullhead, drinking from his flask. Wilhem was on the ground, getting up and seeing Michael waving to him.

"Mr. Torchwick, you said 50km, ja?" Asked Wilhelm.

"Yes, I did... Seems like all this shit we've been given made me forget the other two zeroes." Responded Michael.

"Fifty kilometers, my ass!" Said Taiyang, walking past them and moving to Raven. He whispered in her ear, "Hey, aren't we near your family camp?"

"Yes. Unfortunately. If we meet my father, it won't be pretty.. for him at least."

"Hey, uh Michael? Next time, leave the goddamn distances and measurements to me, cause clearly, 50 fucking kilometers is not the distance between wherever the fuck we are, and that last camp!" Said Henry.

"Look, Henry, don't fucking piss yourself over a simple mistake. It's not like we've crash landed this scrapheap into the side of a bloody fucking mountain."

"We?! Oh yeah, sure, cause the four of us each had a hand on the yoke like it was being jerked off. That was all M- woah!" The Bullhead started sliding off the cliff edge, and the three jumped out as it did. Jack was thrown around and fell through the windshield three quarters of the way down, hitting a few branches and rolling down a hill. Summer was thrown out as well but she sustained minor injuries thanks to her aura. Flipping herself upright, she skidded down the rest of the hill on her feet, looking around and up. She quickly used her semblance and scattered like petals in the wind moving through the broken windshield and out the right side door. With a loud crash, the broken metal corpse of the bullhead fell onto the ground, what remained of the fuel tank was leaking, and soon reaching the sparking dashboard.

* * *

"Professor Ozpin, I'm telling you that these soldiers you face are like nothing you or your students have ever seen. It will take more than an entire school of children to stop an entire well trained and well equiped army."

"And I am telling you, Colonel Shepard, that my students are well trained and equiped on their own. If they are to fight these Germans, then I believe a team of four will suffice to efficiently force an entire division to surrender." Ozpin remarked. He was calm. His students could do anything. After all, he was secretly training them to not only hunt Grimm and protect the people, but to help him defeat his dearly departed wife.

"If this continues, Professor. Then you're students will end up in a field of mud and death! There will be no students left! Especially when there are fighter planes and tanks and mustard gas and anything from our world."

"I understand the weight of all of this, Colonel, but believe me. My students will be safe." Shepard was losing his patience.

"No they won't. Not when they're on the front lines and have to charge into No Man's Land only to be mowed down by a machine gun. Earth's weapons of war outclass this world already. It'll be a massacre when they strike any of your schools."

"On that Colonel, we agree. Now, what is it that you request?"

"Direct lines of communication with the Atlesian military and its funder."

"That can be arranged." Both men hung up on their scrolls, Ozpin got up from his desk and looked out into the sunset horizon at the cliff. "What are we doing...?"

* * *

Colonel Shepard smiled. His plan was coming into frame now. He only needed a few more things to happen. Ozpin was a fool. He had no idea of what destruction humanity could bring.

However, Salem knew. And she was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And once she did, all Hell would break loose.


	9. Ghosts

"Time. A little more time is all it shall take before they tear each other apart. Ozpin will suffer. Everyone will. However, Colonel Shepard currently has... A seat at the table. He will be rewarded. Mr. Murphy and the others will eventually succeed in their little adventure." She smiled. "After all, in the end they're just pawns. Simply pieces on a chessboard... I must admit, it's amusing to watch them wander the planet and continue this little game. The rose however is a strange one. Her eyes... She hasn't shown her power yet, so she isn't a threat. For now."

The Seer kept showing its Master everything. Watching Jack his squad along with Team STRQ with every step they took. "Still, she will die. I have forseen it. But for the rest... Especially Jack and his pitiful little Band of Brothers in Arms, they are an even stranger case. They obviously don't belong, none of them do. But yet, they do at the same time. Interesting. Very interesting." Salem kept looking into the Seer's orb, watching.

* * *

"Wake up." Said a faint voice. A whisper. Jack could barely hear it, but yet it was so close to him. "Wake up." It said, louder this time. Jack awoke, opening his eyes to find himself in a bed, covered in sweat. His wife stood next to him, holding his head close and nuzzling him. "Another nightmare?" She asked.

"Yes... It was." He answered, giving his wife a kiss.

"What was it this time?" She continued.

"I.. I think I died, Samantha. I don't know, last thing I remember was me trying to land a plane, only to crash and get impaled, falling down a mountain, and... Before that, you died..."

Samantha returned the kiss, caressing his cheek. "Well we're both alive, Jack." She smiled. "Now, come on downstairs, breakfast is ready and Charles is waiting for us."

"Of course he is." He smirked. "Didn't you tell him he could start eating without us?"

"I did, but he likes to wait." She said, both going downstairs into the dining room to eat with their son. Charles was now two years old, sitting in a tall wooden chair. Both parents sat down and the three started eating. Charles had to be spoon fed.

Jack chuckled. "Give him smaller bites, Hon, else he'll be bigger than both of us by the time he goes to school!"

Samantha laughed. "It's not my fault, dear! He just loves my cooking." Charles giggled, trying to grab the spoon himself and feeding himself, to succeed albeit in a small way. "Jack, look, he's able to feed himself now!"

"Hah! Cute! One of these days, he'll be able to drive a car of his own, get a house of his own, get married and have kids. Then we'll be old!"

"I don't know, Jack, that's years away. Besides, he has to have our approval, isn't that right, Charlie?" Charles giggled, continuing on eating his food.

After breakfast, the parents cleaned up the table and put the plates in the sink, soon taking Charles out for a walk, it didn't matter where they were going. It was just nice to go outside and walk down the road, feeling the nice cool breeze and the warmth of the sun. Hearing the birds chirping and the animals scurry through the nearby forest. They didn't live in a city. It was suburban but with more of a rural feeling. It was nice and quiet. Tranquil and beautiful. After about an hour, they started walking back home, Charles was napping in his little stroller. Both parents were happy, but something just didn't feel right. Jack didn't know what it was, but he ignored it, keeping his smile.

When they got home, Jack turned on the gramophone, dancing with his wife as Charles slept in his room. It was a slow, calming piece of music. It was nice. Ever since Charles kept waking up crying, they haven't been able to do this in a long while. As the song continued, the two kissed again, later resting their heads on the other's shoulder.

"I love you, Samantha."

"I love you too, Jack."

The two got some wine, and poured a glass, clinking them together and drinking. Soon after they went to bed, Jack was pondering.

"Do you think, that when Charles is older, he'll go off to war like I did?" Samantha held her breath, not wanting to answer, but she did reluctantly.

"Possibly. I don't know. All I can say is I hope not. And if he does, he better have your luck with God and his angels watching over him."

"It wasn't just luck, Samantha."

"I know." The two stayed silent for a few agonizingly long minutes. It was deafening. Samantha spoke up. "Jack, every day I prayed for your safe return."

"I know. And here I am, unscathed for the most part."

"Thankfully! What were you thinking anyways, my love? You could've died!"

"I could've, but I didn't... Right?" Samantha looked at him, soon getting over on top of him.

"No, you didn't." She smiled, placing his hands around her waist as they embraced each other again.

"I missed you. There wasn't a single minute that went by, that I didn't think about you and Charles." Jack said, nuzzling his head into her shoulder.

"I know, and I missed you too." Samantha said back, the two staying silent again for another minute.

"I want to stay like this forever."

"I do too... But for now, my love. You need to wake up." Samantha's voice echoed, Jack was confused.

"What?... No.. Samantha, please! Don't make me leave you..." He begged, tearing up. He felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, but nothing was there.

"You didn't leave me. I left you. But only for a short while." A gravestone flashed in Jack's mind, the name read 'Samantha Murphy'.

"N-no... No! No no no no! Samantha! Charles!" He yelled, his vision fading to black, still hearing his wife's voice, pleading with him to wake up.

* * *

"Jack! Wake up!" And he did, screaming out in both agony and sorrow. Summer was there by his side, her voice sounding so familiar. He looked down, seeing a metal rod running through his body, his uniform stained with his blood. "Thank, Oum! We need to get you to a hospital and fast!" She said, trying to pull the rod out of him, succeeding and tossing it away as she pulled him up and starting walking away from the wreckage of the Bullhead, moving as fast as possible, hoping to find someone who could patch him up.

* * *

 **Imperial here, just started Junior year of high school, so chapters are coming out a bit slow. I'm currently working on the fourth chapter of the Transformers fic still, trying to figure out the set up to an upcoming fight. Also, I'm working on a little something for you guys. Cause you know, I'm something of a scientist myself. Wink wink. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll hopefully get the Transformers one finished soon.**


	10. The Joy of Painting

Through the trenches, soldiers were running, men moving back and forth between posts, frantically. Some were stood on the post slightly elevated, only for a few to be shot dead, their heads exploded or part of it cracked open like an egg, the contents spilling out as their comrades caught the pieces and the body.

A hundred yards away, the same thing was happening to the enemy. No one wanted to charge first. They knew they'd be mowed down by machine gun fire. Artillery didn't help either. Both sides pummeling each other for hours, days on end without stopping. The symphony of destruction and screams enough to make a man smile as the carnage and freeze in place, silently cackling to himself, either fully or unaware that they have been lost in the sweet nothingness.

A radio cracked, dozens of voices screaming through all at once. Either begging for reinforcements at one position, or some screaming that they want to go home to see their parents, others praying for everything to suddenly halt so that maybe their savior may come down from the Heavens above and guide them on a path to their own salvation. But none of that was to come.

Meanwhile, a boy possibly no more than seventeen years of age was standing all by his lonesome, surveying the Hellish void of No Man's Land, just begging to be shot where he stood. Amazingly, nothing came, as he continued to paint the land around him, but... He didn't see destruction. In his mind, everything was normal. Beautiful. A grassy plain with a blue sky and bright sun. Not a muddy pit with clouded skies. Some think he went mad with Shellshock. Others, interpret his work as what the area might've looked like before it was turned into Hell itself.

He smiled, almost finished. It was a beautiful piece. A green field going as far as the eye could see, with barely a cloud in the blue sky, the sun rising in the distance as a lone cabin stood. He put the finishing touches and gazed at his work. If there were any snipers that spotted him, which he knew there were, then they weren't looking to shoot him. But to watch him work.

He checked his paints, seeing he was almost out of red. A shame. He wondered if any of his fellow squadmates had any to supply his demand. With that thought in mind, he carefully picked up his art piece, and carried it back to the trench, not far from where he was. The boy didn't need to worry about desertion. With his last few pieces, everyone knew what he was doing. Nobody had the heart to stop him either.

As he walked, the boy thought of home. He thought of how his mother was doing, how she was probably baking a blueberry pie like she did each Saturday. His father, most likely smoking out on the porch, reading the news. His sister, probably working in a factory to make more ammunition or something, that or working on the farm.

He, like many, thought of home. He wanted to go back. They all did. But deep down, they couldn't. But no one could accept that, now could they? The boy finally got to the trench, going inside the bed area, and showing the painting to his colleagues. They weren't phased at his smile. He saw differently as they did. A freespirited young man vs a bunch of cynical adult men. To them, it was no different than No Man's Land itself. But they didn't say a word. They only nodded, doing their best to smile back. They frowned when he asked if they had any red paint however. No one did.

The boy sighed, hoping he could make one last piece, before another charge. He'd have to act fast however.

Night came and went, the soldiers awoke, along with the boy. A couple had died in their beds. Either from disease or... Anything really. No one could say. It just sort of happened. One day you're talking with someone, then come dawn, and the next thing you know, you can't say anything to them anymore.

One of them was probably shot though, bled out in his sleep, most likely didn't want anyone to notice. The area smelled rich of iron after that though. It stayed that way for a while.

Anyways, the men went out on their posts while the boy started painting again. This time, he used less red, but seemed to have more. He probably made his own somehow. Crude, but yet it was really effective. Dried easily too. Again, he finished it, and it was again beautiful.

This went on for about a week, just a seemingly endless cycle of a boy being fixated to his brushes and canvas, trying his best to make a scene of beauty out of one which is that of sadness and horror. They were all amazing in their own ways. The area still smelled of iron however, which was curious. No one bothered asking though, since the smell of rotting corpses and among other things was much worse.

Soon, he again ran out of red paint. He was so close to finishing this piece! He needed more! More goddamnit! And fast!

One of his colleagues walked in to rest, commenting on the boy's art. It was interesting.

* * *

Outside the area, in the trench, a couple of soldiers were discussing on how strange the new technology was along with the entire world. Remnant, was the name. So similar to Earth, but yet so different. It was nice in a way. Like being on a vacation, but still close enough to shoot the person you despise, except you can't make a return trip. They laughed, but it was awkward. They wanted to find a way home.

Before they could say their goodbyes, a scream was heard from inside the bedding area. They stormed inside, seeing a man being cut open and stabbed over and over, ruthlessly being bloodlet for his well... Blood. He screamed in horror and agony as the boy hacked away at his body. The two sentries aimed their rifles at the boy, who wouldn't stop.

"Listen, son, stop this right now! We don't want to shoot!" Explained one sentry. But the boy didn't listen.

"More! I need more damnit! More paint for the canvas! M-my painting! I-i-its so close! Almost... Almost finished. Nearly complete!" The boy yelled in response. When the man was killed, he stopped, looking at his hands trembling. A knife in his left palm, bloodied. He started sobbing, going down on his knees, as one sentry walked over cautiously to take the blade away. The boy screamed out and lunged at the sentry, only for the second to fire, the bullet flying out and killing the boy. Blood along with bits and pieces of his skull splattered along his last piece. It was finished.

A whistle was blown, and the charge started, men screaming out as they ran towards the other line, waiting to die. And back inside the bunkered room, were all of the boy's paintings. Not of a peaceful and beautiful scene, as they never were before, but scenery of which the adult men saw. That of pain and misery. And as each one got more and more horrific, the final one, was truly...

Finished.


	11. A Familiar Face

A phone began to ring, and a frail hand, belonging to an old man picked it up as soon as the ringing had started.

"Who is this?" Asked the old man in a gruff voice.

"Nicholas Schnee, this is Colonel Shepard. I trust that you will hear what I have to say?" Shepard was on the other line. Ozpin had done good on his arrangements so far.

"Ah yes. Colonel. I suppose I could let you waste your breath. But then again, I may just drop dead in the middle of our chat so I won't have to hear it."

"Mr. Schnee, I require something that only your company has complete control of."

"Dust. How could I have known. Oh, right. How could I have forgotten? Someone has been selling my Dust on the Black Market! I also heard that your so called enemy has gotten their grubby little hands on it too! And now you want to supply your faction?!" He coughed into a hankerchief. His health wasnt the best.

"Mr. Schnee, with your supply, legally of course, I can end this war quickly! All I need is your help. After this mess is over, I promise you, I will personally make sure that any and all groups stealing your Monopoly will be punished."

There was silence on the other end for a while. Nicholas sighed.

"Alright. But when this is over, I'm having any and all evidence of this effectively destroyed. I expect you to do the same and more."

"You have my word. Thank you for choosing the right side in this war of ours, Mr. Schnee."

"Your war, Shepard. And from what I'm hearing, there is no right side."

"Of course. I will contact you again so-" Schnee hung up. He wasn't fond of any of this. But yet, he was to help. Shepard smiled. The Atlesian Military's High Command was next.

"Captain!" Shepard called. The Captain walked over, saluting. The Colonel saluted back. "Have your men rounded up anymore of the... Locals?"

"Yes, Sir. Also, one of our teams have located something that you might like."

"Show me." The Captain brought up a few photos and a video on a large screen. A few soldiers were walking around, one wearing a bodycam.

* * *

"Hey, guys, check this out." Said the one on his left, squatting down and looking at the strange black pool in front of him. The soldier with the bodycam walked over, looking down in confusion.

"Well, what the hell is it? Tar? Oil?" He asked in a British accent. The third came up from behind, placing a hand on the cameraman's shoulder. He pointed over across the area.

"I don't think so, but look. There's a whole lot more ahead of us." He said. The soldier who was squatting down reached over to touch the black pool, almost making contact until he was stopped by the cameraman.

"What are you doing? We don't even know what this stuff is."

"I'm just seeing if it's gonna be ok to touch."

"By dipping your fingers in the thing... Then what?"

"I don't know, take a sample back to HQ?"

The third soldier sighed. "Right, well, let me know when you two are done. I'm off to take a piss."

"Take your time. At this rate, we'll be here all day." Said the cameraman. He took out a few empty glass vials, handing some to the second man, both collecting some samples of the black puddles. In the distance, some began to bubble.

A Beowulf climbed out of one such pit, seeing the men and snarling. It charged, lunging at the two. There was barely any screaming. They didn't have any time to react. The third man came back, finding nothing except the vastness of the landscape. Deep red ground with endless pools. Submerged in the pool in front of him was the camera. The small, almost unnoticeable bodycam.

Suddenly, a pale white hand with blackened veins shot out, grabbing his ankle, and pulling him in. The footage stopped, only showing what became of the man. Nothing.

* * *

"Captain, have our best and brightest start working on a new form of research. Whatever this stuff is, it could be useful." Shepard said, turning to the Captain. He nodded, saluting and walking away. Shepard took out a lighter and reached for a nearby pack of cigars. Taking one out, he put it in his mouth and lit the end, inhaling before taking it back out and exhaling, creating a puff of smoke. He wondered what the Germans were doing. Probably the same thing as him and his army. Shepard had around five hundred thousand men in his army. The Germans probably had about a million. But it wouldn't matter if Shepard could secure any victory no matter the cost.

* * *

"Stop... Stop.. s-set me down here." Jack said. Summer was helping him walk. His right leg had a makeshift splint fixed around it after realizing it was broken. It didn't matter though, he was bleeding out. What impaled him wasn't a metal pole, it was a thin sheet that could've been the blade of a sword. Summer gently placed him down against a tree. The forest they were in was seemingly endless, and the mountain could still be seen through the canopy.

Summer knelt down beside him, placing a hand on the bloodied rags they had tied around what was just below the ribs. She looked at him with concern and worry.

"Jack? Hang in there... Ok? M-maybe there's a village, o-or something nearby so we can get you a doctor!" She said, she looked at her hand, it was shaking.

Jack chuckled. "Gotta love the optimism, Summer, but there's nothing around for miles. This just might be it."

"No! Don't say that... You don't know that! I-I'll scout ahead, see if there's anything in the area." Before she could get a response from him, Summer took off in a flurry of rose petals. In the distance, Jack could hear a couple of voices. Probably soldiers on patrol. They came into view a few yards away from where Jack was.

"Hey... You guys wouldn't happen to know English would you?" He asked. The two soldiers turned, with one looking very familiar.

"Sorry. I know you're kinda dying and all, but have we met?" Asked the first who knelt down to have a good look at him. "Hang on... Murphy? Jack Murphy?! I thought you were dead!"

"Yeah I'm sorry too, but... Wait hold on a minute... Edward Waller, right? Holy shit, where the hell have you been?!" Jack asked, soon coughing. Waller got some medical supplies out of the other's backpack.

"Well, I woke up in the same bloody crater I'm guessing you did, and then the Jerries came and took me and a few others, this kid included." He gestured to the other soldier, who looked to be about sixteen. Waller continued telling his story as he removed the rags from Jack, looking at his wound. "Christ that's a nasty one right there. You can tell me about it later though, yeah? Anyways, where was I? Oh right! So they took us to a camp nearby... Vale I think it's what that city's called. Long story short, it got liberated by Shepard, and now we're here on Anima. In fact, we aren't far off from Argus. That's where Shepard's at." He finished talking, stitching the skin back together and covering them with fresh gauze. "There you are good as new. Now, you should take it easy for the next few weeks, maybe a few months. You're lucky since whatever impaled you just went in between the intestines and somehow missed everything else important." Waller helped him up.

"Yeah, thanks. So, gonna introduce me to the kid?"

"Corporal Peter Barkov, sir." He saluted.

"You are dismissed, Corporal. Head back to Argus for some rest." Said Waller, who saluted back.

"Yes Sir, Sergeant." Barkov left, leaving the two men alone.

"So... You've been promoted, huh? Last time I saw you, you were a Private." Said Jack.

"That's right. The kid's under my watch too." Waller sighed. "He can uhh... He can be a bit reckless at times. Hell, he almost shot a couple of civilians for trying to enter Argus. Another time, he almost got himself killed by running out of cover."

"Yeah, well what can you do? He's a kid."

"I know. But hey. Under my watch. If anything happens to him, that's on me."

Out of nowhere, a double bladed scythe came spinning into a tree with the one blade stuck in the trunk, just barely missing Waller's head. Summer came back. She quickly grabbed the handle and pulled it out, getting in front of Jack.

"Summer, stand down! He's a friend." Yelled Jack, getting in between both.

"Wait... You know this guy?" Asked Summer.

"Edward Waller, meet Summer Rose. One of the Locals." Waller stuck out his arm. Summer hesitated, but eventually shook his hand.

"Nice to meet another somewhat friendly face, eh? Can't say there's too much of those around." He said with a warm smile.

"Agreed... So how did you two meet?" Summer continued.

"Long story, I'll tell you all about it when we get to Argus... Wherever the hell that is." Said Jack. Waller lead them on, taking them to the city. Peter greeted them at the city wall and Shepard was waiting patiently.

* * *

 **Alright folks, sorry I haven't been posting in a long while, but I've been busy with school so I was focused on that. For those wondering about when the next chapter of my Transformers fic, I've hit a writer's block. I hope to find a way to get it done and continue on with that story as well soon. The Spider-Man (never forget the "-") fic is slowly being written. Other than that, there really isn't anything else so yeah. Happy Halloween for those trick or treating in 3 days at the time of posting this, I don't plan on doing a Halloween styled chapter, sorry. Anyways stay tuned!**

 **-Imperial**

 **P.S. I was confused as to when the Battle of the Somme took place. Chapter one says 1915, but it's really 1916. That's my bad, but oh well.**


	12. Higher-Ups

"We're close. I know it." Said Raven, continuing onward. The group of six had marched down the mountain and gone deep into the forest on the other side. The whole Branwen tribe was safe, surrounded by a range of mountains, dense forests and marshlands, and a river. Except for one key side, and that area was the most heavily defended, as well as the fastest route. Qrow walked beside her, and the two exchanged glances.

"How long have you two been away from your tribe?" Asked Henry, who was scanning his surroundings.

"Honestly, pretty much our entire lives. Our father, the chieftan sent us away to Beacon. In fact every child from the tribe is sent off until they graduate from the academy. Then they return." Said Qrow, his hands were in his pockets and was hunched over as he walked. "Oh and it's best not to waste time surveying the area. You don't see us coming."

"Right. Hey, you think Murphy and the other girl survived?"

"Summer, yes. Your friend... Most likely no." Said Raven. Her voice was uncaring, and she seemed irritated.

Michael leaned over, nudging Henry's arm with his elbow.

"Bet you six pence he survived the aftermath." He said with a smirk. Raven laughed.

"No clue what that is in Lien, or if it even has value here, but alright. You're on, Irishman." Apparently Raven, and others across Remnant knew about the names of certain peoples from Earth.

"Scotsman." Michael retorted. He hated it when people called him Irish. Although they weren't far off. Looking at Wilhelm, he resumed. "Hey, Willy. You feeling alright over there? You seem quiet." Wilhelm sighed.

"Ja. It's just, when the fich ist this war going to end. I have a nephew I'd like to see again." He said in a heavy German accent, chuckling. "Fredrich loved it when I showed up from time to time."

"I hope you see him again. I hope you all see your families again." Said Taiyang. He wore a warm smile on his face as he listened to the conversation.

"Don't we all." responded Henry.

Eventually, they arrived into a small clearing. Moving forth, the Branwen camp was right in front of them. Raven stopped, signalling the others to do the same. She tapped her right ear, gesturing to listen. It was dead silent, save for the wind.

"We're surrounded." Said Raven, seeing the tall wooden gates open. No one was there to greet them. The group ventured forth, and once they set foot in the camp itself, the gate closed. The three soldiers, along with Taiyang turned and were on alert. The three getting their sidearms out, and Taiyang readying his gauntlets. They covered his fingers and hands, running up to just before the elbow. The knuckles on both had spikes.

Qrow and Raven moved forward, signalling the other four to follow until they came to a large cabin with a curtain instead of a door. The two siblings dropped on one knee and waited, as heavy footsteps could be heard from inside.

"Raven. Qrow. What brings you back home to us- your family." Called a deep booming voice. Looking up, a large man stood on a porch. He was dressed in ragged dark red and black trench coat, black pants, a bandolier around his chest, and a belt around the waist that connected the bandolier. On his belt were three human skulls, and on his side was a scabbard that contained a sword special to the Branwen tribe. No one could see his face, as it was covered by a mask made to look like a Grim.

"Father. We-" Raven spoke up, only to be cut off by the Chieftain.

"You dare come home bringing outsiders?! Especially one from the very academy you were cast out into?! And those three." He gestured to Henry and the other two. "Do they not understand what has become of the rest they have sent?" He became more agitated, raising an arm straight up into the air. "ARCHERS!" He brought the arm down. "F-"

"WAIT!" Qrow yelled. "Father, they mean us no harm. They may wear the same uniform, but they're allegiance is not with these so called Germans. Also... Uh, the other guy is one of our teammates." The only sounds remaining were the strings pulled back faintly in the background along with the wind. The Chieftain clenched his fists, sighing.

"Very well. But they must leave quickly. Even if you are not those who wish to converse with us for the time being, I do not trust you or any outsider for that matter." Said the Chieftain, looking to the three soldiers and Taiyang, soon gesturing towards his kin. "Raven, Qrow. Come with me. Watchmen, keep these four near the gate!" He ordered, where six archers in leather armor and red tunics. Each had a knife on their hip.

Michael leaned over to Henry.

"These people look like bloody Romans if not more... Barbaric." Henry glanced back.

"Yeah, I can see that." He whispered back.

* * *

"I trust that Ozpin has been letting you two in his inner circle?" Asked the Chieftain, who was looking over a map of Argus. Raven and Qrow by his side.

"Yes, so far things have been going smoothly until, well... Until _**they**_ showed up." Said Raven. "What's happened since our return?"

Their father sighed, removing his mask. His face was heavily scarred, mostly on the left side with a large gash running through his brow down to his lips and ending on his chin. He had long graying hair with an unkempt beard. His right eye was blood red with his left eye being clouded and almost completely blank white. His skin was partially burnt on his left side too, from ear level to his neck just before the collarbone. Aside from that, the rest was tanned.

"We had more uninvited guests, dressed like those you've brought outside. These... Germans, whoever they are. They're all the same. They find us every time we set up camp at a new home just for us to pack up again or be slaughtered... They've already gotten a few of us, and our numbers have been in decline for generations." He said solemnly. "You know, when I was your age, something similar happened. More than once. Sometimes it was a small situation. Others it was bad... I just haven't seen anything like this before. No one has, not even Oz." He continued.

"Does that mean these people... Germans and others have appeared here before?" Asked Qrow.

The Chieftain nodded. "Yes, and it's been happening for possibly over a thousand years, which is why we have been involved with Ozpin for generations, my children. For if we do not stop this from happening, then our very way of life is doomed indefinitely."

* * *

"Here we are, Murphy. Argus. Take it all in because we won't be here for long." Said Waller, stepping past and walking through the massive gate and into the coastal city. It was walled off with some renovations being done to it. "The wall is being reinforced currently so only part of it can be walked along if you want a scenic view. It's wide enough for two cars to drive side by side. Or horses, your choice." Jack and Summer followed him, looking around.

"Damn, are you sure this ain't London, Waller?" Said Jack, noticing Summer raising an eyebrow in confusion. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear. "Just a city in where I'm from."

Waller chuckled. "Well, it has a Victorian Era style to it, so I'm sure I'd feel quite at home." He said, smiling. Soon he stopped, pointing out to the sea where there was an island with some sort of military base. Connecting it to the city itself was a massive suspension bridge. "You know, that bridge never ceases to amaze me every time I see it. Seems to me it's unbreakable. Anyways, we oughta get to that island. That's where you know who is."

Jack nodded, continuing to follow Waller with Summer, eventually getting into a car they were more familiar with. They drove through the city, Waller acting as a chauffeur, having the other two as passengers. It was the evening so the street lamps were lit, Argus becoming a faint light on the horizon. Eventually, they made it across the bridge, Jack and Summer stepped out.

"Well, Mr. Waller, I will say it was good to see you again, and thanks. Seems like you're the only medic around." Jack said, shaking Edward's hand.

"Likewise, Mr. Murphy, and believe me, there are unfortunately fewer than you'd like, but we try our best. And, as for you... Ms.." Began Waller, extending his hand out to Summer, which she shook as well.

"Rose. Summer Rose." She said, smiling.

"Well, Ms. Rose, keep this one in check, he may have immense luck, but that doesn't mean he can come crashing down in one of those advanced flying machines you have."

"Oh believe me, he has a whole group doing just that."

Edward started the car up again. "Right, well just down the path here, there's a few tents. I'm going to get Peter and have a hot meal. You both look like you could use one and then some."

"Will do, thanks." Jack said, waving as Waller drove off.

"Well, he was a lot nicer than I was expecting." Said Summer, walking with Jack towards a large tent. He introduced them as two guards stepped up, patting both down and removing their weapons. Jack went in but they stopped Summer outside.

"It's alright, Summer, this'll take a minute." Summer nodded, waiting patiently outside.

* * *

Jack stepped inside, seeing Shepard standing over a table with the Captain along with a few more men. Shepard seemed furious, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Damnit! Lieutenant McCallander, have more men patrol along the wall, and have more guns stationed on it. I don't care if there's construction!" The man to his left saluted, he had an eye patch over his right eye and was missing his left arm. He looked old, with wrinkly skin and whitening hair. He was probably in the Civil War. McCallander left, shouting in the distance.

"Colonel Shepard, with all due respect, the transports might not even exist!" Shouted the Captain.

"Captain Davis! I have had enough of this! We are at war, and I will not have a single man, in my inner circle or not risk causing every soul here to die because of what they believe!" Shepard sighed. "Without the support of the Atlesian Council, we risk losing much needed supply or reinforcement. I just need a ship large enough to carry us with a single battalion. The rest can hold the Germans back."

Captain Davis reluctantly nodded. "Yes, Sir, but for now, we have a new guest." Shepard turned.

"Ah, you must be one of the men who secured us the plans for both Dust experimentation along with a new type of artillery." Shepard said, extending his hand out to Jack. Jack took his hand, shaking it.

"Corporal Jack Murphy reporting, Sir. I uh, I came here with Sergeant Edward Waller and one of the locals from this world. She helped quite a bit."

"Very good, Corporal. What happened to the other two in your squad along with the German defector?"

"No clue, Sir. Last I saw them, we were crashing one of those Bullhead things. Pilot was shot to Hell and I had to substitute. I can confirm that they're alive however." Jack continued, watching McCallander whisper something in his ear.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Maybe this'll convince those damn savages." Responded Shepard. "Corporal, thank you again, without you or the other three brave men in your squad, well, we'd have probably lost by now. However, I must send you on your way. My advisors and I have our hands full, but don't worry, we'll get your squad back. For now, take the woman and both get a hot meal and plenty of rest."

"Of course, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Jack saluted and left, rejoining Summer.

"So, how'd it go?" She asked.

"Fine. Just a meeting with the higher ups."

"Right, so where to now?"

"For now, we should get something to eat, then get some rest." Said Jack, walking with Summer towards smaller tents.

* * *

"Lieutenant McCallander. We've arrived outside the camp, how should we proceed?" Asked a soldier standing behind a large tree. Over the radio, McCallander spoke.

"Convince the savages to help our cause."

"Yes, Sir. Consider it done." He turned the radio off, signalling to move forward. "Alright, men. Remember, three teams have been sent in before us, this is a one way trip. If you know Jerry, speak it." He said, creeping over with his rifle raised, followed by twenty more, all dressed in German uniforms, slowly making their way to the Branwen camp.

* * *

 **Hey everyone, Imperial here. I apologize for the long wait, I'm trying to get back into writing. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!**


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